Emergency Proclamation

(Proclamation Declaring Local Emergency)….It concerns the air pollution at the Salton Sea.

The County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the proclamation at their meeting Tuesday. The pollution is created from dust blown into the air from the exposed playa of the Salton Sea. The dust contains very high levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10, both of which could prove deadly to animals and humans. The Air Pollution Control District said the proclamation was needed to get the state to take the matter seriously and move forward with mitigation plans that would reduce the levels of the toxic dust. Due to the termination of mitigation water on January 1, 2018 at the Salton Sea, pursuant to the Quantification Settlement Agreement, the shoreline is being exposed at a rapid rate. They say mitigation projects need to be implemented now. The proclamation says the conditions at the Salton Sea are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of the county.